Vegetarian & Vegan Food In South Wales

welsh

Secret weapon from the herb garden: lovage. Basically it’s parsley on steroids. Just a small amount will add a sharp savoury note to salads or a deep unami hit to stocks and soups. Gotta love the lovage. Spot it in this week’s wild rice and walnut tabbouleh. And remember: this herb is not available in the shops. Menu for Herbivore at the Embassy Cafe here.

Sorry folks, but every year I go to Sicily to cook and eat lovely things. Someone has to.

As I dont have anyone right now that can run Herivorte at the Embassy Cafe without me we will be closed the weekends of the 28th April, 5th May and 12yh May. Business as usual fromn the 19th May – back in time to celebrate the Royal Wedding. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

New to me from Blaencamel Farm this week is Catalan Chicory. Like a cultivated dandelion, it’s a slightly bitter, astringent green needing a quick blanche to cope with any toughness in the stems followed by a glut of good olive oil and a light seasoning of salt and lemon. Delicious as a side, plonked on top of a pile of pasta or, as I’m doing this weekend, used as a foil to the richness of duck egg and fried potatoes. Keeping it Catalan with Romesco sauce too. Full menu here.

Corn tortillas straight off the plane from the Bronx, NYC. Strictly for personal consumption though. But we do have the same thing in blue from the lovely Cool Chile Co in London making their way onto this week’s menu at the Embassy. Pure blue corn tortillas sandwiching refried black beans, spinach and cheese (if that’s your thing, walnuts if it’s not), saute spiced potatoes and salsa. Full menu here.

Well, I managed to miss St Pancake’s Day as usual. Never seems to fall on the weekend. Instead, to celebrate National Welshcake Day, I’m putting a version of rarebit on the menu. Still with a cheese roux, but on cornbread and accompanied by black beans, a smoky tomato and pepper sauce and salsa verde. Full menu here.

This innocuous looking root is horseradish plucked from the earth of Herbivore Acres – and it really packs a punch. I’m re-branding it as Welsh Wasabi as there really isn’t much difference to my mind. It sure has that nasal pipe-clearing, gasp inducing effect. Find on the menu alongside Leek & Potato cakes this week. Menu here.

The last of the Autumn/Winter Squash collection from Herbivore Acres makes its way to the Embassy Cafe menu this week. Keeping it local with more lovely leaves from the Cardiff Salad Project that I’ve mentioned before. Full menu here.

2018 promises to be a busy time for Herbivore. There’s a few Supper Clubs and other projects up our sleeves but first we’re kicking off with a series of Sunday lunches throughout January at the Embassy Cafe. Alongside our regular weekend menu we’re going to be offering a set Sunday dinner of starter, main and dessert. Two courses for eleven quid, three of thirteen fifty. Probably best to book for these. Each week will be a different menu, always trying to make the best of Welsh produce, always fresh, always creative. And always vegan. Each week’s menu will be posted up here.

Pleased to say we’ll be using lovely green leaves from Cardiff Salad Garden on this week’s Herbivore menu at the Embassy Cafe. Not only are they probably the tastiest and freshest I’ve tried but they are grown less than a mile away in Bute park by a not-for-profit organisation that works with refugees, asylum seekers and individuals with mental health problems. It’s win-win really.
This week will also see the return of the romanesco cauliflower and the legendary tower of mango soup. Full menu here.

Not only the name of one of my favourite bands, the fall sees all kinds of culinary treats appearing. Here we have windfall bramley apples from Pontypridd just waiting to be cooked down into a buttery, soft compote, to be served alongside an almond cake scented with orange blossom. Meanwhile the last gasps of summer continue with courgettes still doing their thing on the allotment and even some tomatoes ripening in the greenhouse. This week’s menu for the Embassy Cafe here. Not going to be at the Embassy next week (14th/15th Oct) but back on the 21st as usual.